RE: Late Bloomers: Our travel team coach has been around a while & told me this story about Chris Taylor (Leadoff; CF for Dodgers). Back when Chris was a rising HS Jr., he was the backup SS on his travel team. The Coach was pushing the starting SS heavily & called in several contacts including UVA to come see this kid play (not Taylor, he was sitting behind this kid).
The touted player goes out & boots 2 at SS, strikes out looking 2X. Just awful. Coach is so disgusted he puts Taylor in. Chris makes a real tough backhand play in the hole & hit a HR off the foul pole in LF (wood bat). This was at the end of the Fall. Chris was 5'8-9" maybe 140 as a rising Jr. Coach tells me he did not even invite him back to play in Spring. UVA obviously felt otherwise & he went on to UVA, was the grinder that he is & look where he is now.